Librarians know their “superpowers” and a collaborative mind-set is but one of them. However, they often feel like they’re wearing a cloak of invisibility when attempting to establish their role in supporting the curriculum in schools and initiating collaboration in less “traditional” areas, or outside the physical library environment. The need for such collaborative approaches in education has never been more important or urgent. They are foundational to effective pedagogy and enhance the way schools function in an increasingly networked world. (Core Education, 2018), but effective outcomes-based collaboration is not yet deeply established – so there are few friends or colleagues to learn from. (Munby & Fullan, 2016). This workshop will discuss the current New Zealand research into teacher/librarian collaboration, and explore the role of librarian leadership in this while providing examples of how and why it works.
6. Questions
Thinking about how you work with teachers /
librarian at your school, what are the things that
currently work well, and what factors support
these successes?
Thinking about how you work with teachers /
librarian at your school, what are the areas for
improvement, and what barriers make it harder
to make those improvements?
7. Questions
What services do the library and library services
offer in your school?
How do you perceive the role of the library in
helping senior students develop information
literacy skills?
13. Quote
‘We could do so much more –
but no one ever asks.’
Librarians have so much capacity to
contribute to student learning, but they
are too often relegated to the tasks of
teaching students to find information
and issuing books.” (Emerson, 2017)
14. Quote
“When librarians and teachers
work together, students achieve
higher levels of literacy, reading,
learning, problem-solving and
ICT skills.” (IFLA, 1999)
22. Findings
Teachers’ beliefs position the
library and librarian as a
supportive resource rather than
as an integral part of teaching
and learning culture
Two surveys in 2017 - 1 for teachers (69) & 1 for librarians (73)
Two questions about how the school library and library services understood and positioned within senior secondary schools.
Experienced teachers responded - mean working years of 17.7 with 55% English teachers
Librarians also experienced 10 years with 70% having library qualifications
Because the sample isn’t fully representable of all teachers and librarians - it provides only one piece of the equation.
Information Literacy Rubric
Two surveys in 2017 - 1 for teachers (69) & 1 for librarians (73)
Two questions about how the school library and library services understood and positioned within senior secondary schools.
Experienced teachers responded - mean working years of 17.7 with 55% English teachers
Librarians also experienced 10 years with 70% having library qualifications
Because the sample isn’t fully representable of all teachers and librarians - it provides only one piece of the equation.
Collaborations between teachers and librarians
Interviews of participating teaching and librarian staff - and students
Just in time – one to one – one-off
Planned – one to one – sustained
Planned – two teachers/one librarian – inquiry
Embedded – subject or department unit planning
Embedded – whole school approach to skills delivery
Despite this, school libraries across the globe are in decline
The Library vs The Librarian - are these terms interchangeable? What do our teachers think? Do we need a physical library to work with teachers?
Teacher and librarian beliefs - We need to be on the same page, There is significant differences with conflicting beliefs and attitudes
Before we talk about our findings ….. In groups, talk about what YOU think
Barriers: Time, Perception, Lack of visibility
Opportunities: Shared understanding and beliefs
Librarians focus on communication, building relationships and trust with specific teachers and departments - multi-factorial
Teachers focussed on just two factors - resources (physical library space, computers, books, wifi, staffing and budget - and two - the attitude of the librarian towards students and staff
Librarians listed multiple barriers and areas for improvement with a high level of frustration evident in their responses.
Teachers by contrast showed little awareness of librarian frustrations. Over 60% saw the barrier being resources
Librarians listed multiple barriers and areas for improvement with a high level of frustration evident in their responses.
Teachers by contrast showed little awareness of librarian frustrations. Over 60% saw the barrier being resources
Book: being published in 2020. Literacy Across the Divide: Information Literacy as the Key to Student Transition